ANNUAL  SERMON 


HE FORE  THE 


Hmencan 

Seamen’s  ffnenfc  Society, 


AT  ITS 

SEVENTY-FOURTH  ANNIVERSARY, 

Sunday,  April  27,  1902, 

BY  THE 


Rev.  RUFUS  P.  JOHNSTON,  D.D., 


IN  THE 


FIFTH  AVENUE  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


AMERICAN  SEAMEN’S  FRIEND  SOCIETY, 

76  WALL  STREET,  NEW  YORK, 


1902. 


SERMON. 


Carest  Thou  not  that  we  perish? — Mark  iv:  38. 

The  love  of  Jesus  Christ  held  the  world  in  its  arms.  Nothing  less 
than  a world  vision  thrilled  His  soul  and  inspired  His  ministrations. 
No  portion  of  the  race  lay  beyond  the  circle  of  His  sympathy  and 
faith.  Ho  was  the  cheeriest  of  optimists  and  man  was  His  brother. 
In  His  gracious  purposes  there  were  no  foreigners.  And  one  of  the 
most  beneficent  results  of  His  vision  and  teaching  has  been  the  de- 
velopment of  the  sense  of  race  solidarity,  the  begetting  of  the  spirit 
and  sympathy  of  human  brotherhood,  the  realization  of  humanity  as 
a fact  in  the  world.  More  and  more  closely  are  the  bonds  of  unity 
being  knit,  and  more  and  more  sensitive  becomes  the  whole  to  the 
hurt  of  any  of  its  parts.  In  a profoundly  significant  sense  the  thought- 
ful Christian  repeats  the  motto  of  Terence,  “ I am  a man  ; therefore 
nothing  human  is  alien  to  me.”  And  the  sullen,  self-excusing  ques- 
tion of  Cain  is  finding  a cheerful  answer  in  the  affirmative.  Our  social 
philosophy  unhesitatingly  declares  that  we  are  our  brother’s  keeper. 

But  unfortunately  practice  never  quite  levels  up  with  philosophy. 
Theories  are  always  in  advance  of  achievement.  Ideals  have  trouble 
in  getting  themselves  perfectly  embodied.  Sentiment  is  not  always 
sceptered  with  practical  authority.  The  struggle  is  and  has  ever  been 
to  do  as  well  as  we  know,  to  translate  our  ideals  into  actualities.  Be- 
cause, therefore,  of  this  painful  discrepancy  between  theory  and  prac- 
tice, there  yet  remain  crying  needs  unattended,  wrongs  unrighted, 
hurts  unhealed,  and  sobs  unhushed.  And  to  remove  this  discrepancy 
in  the  matter  of  our  relation  to  the  men  of  the  sea,  the  Society  under 
whose  auspices  we  meet  to-day  came  into  existence. 

Nearly  nineteen  hundred  years  ago  the  cry  recorded  in  the  words 
of  the  text  rang  out  over  the  wild  waters  of  the  Galileean  Sea.  It  was 
a night  of  storm  and  stress.  Death  walked  upon  the  angry  waves  and 
laughed  in  the  howling  winds.  And  this  cry  was  the  desperate  human 
challenge  to  the  sympathy  and  power  of  the  Son  of  God.  It  was  the 


4 


sailors’  way  of  testing  the  sincerity  of  Ilis  profession.  lie  accepted 
the  challenge,  responded  to  the  cry,  met  the  need,  and  in  that  hour 
wrote  Himself  down  not  only  as  the  Son  of  God,  but  as  the  Son  of  Man, 
our  divinely  human  brother. 

This  feeble  cry  from  the  crew  of  the  little  boat  upon  the  mimic  sea 
has  swollen  into  the  chorus  of  millions  and  comes  to  us  to-day  borne 
upon  the  winds  that  sweep  over  the  wide  reaches  of  every  sea.  It  is 
the  challenge  of  the  seamen  of  the  twentieth  century  to  the  myriad 
followers  of  the  Nazarene.  It  is  a call  to  the  brotherhood  of  man,  a 
hand  stretched  out  from  the  sea  to  find  a brother’s  hand  on  shore.  The 
need  that  voices  itself  in  this  cry  is  not  less  but  rather  more  urgent 
and  real  than  that  which  the  Galileean  seamen  pressed  upon  the  Son 
of  God.  They  were  confronted  by  the  danger  of  shipwreck  only. 
Those  modern  seamen  face  not  only  the  toils  and  hardships  of  long 
voyages,  not  only  the  deadening  monotony  of  calms  and  the  turbulent 
stress  of  storms,  but  they  face  injustice  and  cruelty  upon  the  sea,  neg- 
lect, temptations,  robbery  and  degradation  worse  than  death  upon  the 
shore.  Not  only  are  their  lives,  their  wages,  their  manhood  exposed 
to  danger,  but  their  very  souls  are  in  direct  jeopardy. 

“ And  sadder  sight  than  eye  can  know, 

Than  proud  bark  lost  or  seaman’s  woe, 

Than  battle-fire  or  tempest-cloud, 

Than  prey-birds’  shriek  or  ocean  shroud, 

The  shipwreck  of  the  soul.” 

The  sea  in  the  larger  sense  played  an  inconspicuous  part  in  the  lifo 
of  Christ.  So  far  as  we  know  Ho  never  embarked  upon  it,  He  never 
crossed  its  stormy  reaches.  Ho  only  heard  the  thunder  of  its  waves 
as  they  beat  upon  the  shore.  His  experience  was  confined  to  the  sea 
of  Galilee,  a diminutive  sheet  of  water  which  can  be  swept  with  one 
glanco  of  the  eye.  But  man  played  a large  part  in  His  history  and  in- 
terest. And  our  purpose  at  this  hour  is  not  to  emphasize  the  sea  ; that 
would  bo  impossible  even  were  it  not  useless.  It  sings  its  ceaseless  songs 
to  all  generations.  It  lulls  the  continents  in  its  caressing  arms  and  rocks 
them  with  the  thunders  of  its  waves.  Our  interest,  therefore,  is  not 
with  the  sea,  but  with  the  men  of  the  sea. 

What  a great  host  they  constitute  ! Conservative  estimates  place 
their  number  at  about  three  millions;  each  one  by  the  nature  of  his 
calling  an  able-bodied  man.  Thus  the  sea  musters  a standing  army 
larger  than  that  of  any  nation.  These  men  who  go  down  to  the  sea  in 


5 


ships  are  not  essentially  different  from  other  men.  They  are  neither 
angels  nor  demons.  They  are  but  our  brethren,  grown  reckless  and 
daring  often  by  continual  exposure  to  hardships  and  dangers;  grown 
rough  and  hard  often  by  exposure  to  cruelty  and  injustice  ; grown  intel- 
lectually listless  and  apathetic  often  because  of  the  grinding  monotony 
of  their  toil  and  the  utter  absence  of  inspiration  ; grown  profane  and 
immoral  often  under  the  influence  of  evil  associates,  unwholesome 
environment,  and  the  myriad  temptations  which  beset  them  ; but 
withal  often  developing  a noble  courage,  a generous  sympathy,  and  a 
beautiful  spirit  of  self-sacrifice.  The  sailor  is  neither  less  nor  more 
than  man.  He  has  human  motives,  human  affections  and  an  immor- 
tal soul.  He  is  neither  better  nor  worse  than  other  men  would  be 
under  the  same  conditions ; nay,  than  others  are  even  under  different 
conditions.  These  men  are  our  brothers  gone  to  sea  ; that  is  all ; but 
our  brothers  still,  and  still  within  the  bounds  of  brotherly  privileges 
and  obligations.  They  are  our  brothers  still  and  we  are  still  our  broth- 
er’s keeper. 

Think  for  a moment  of  the  commanding  role  played  by  seamen  in 
the  great  drama  of  history,  and  of  the  essential  functions  performed 
by  them  in  the  economy  and  progress  of  civilization.  Whether  in  times 
of  conflict  requiring  marshal  valor  and  unflinching  courage,  or  in  the 
“ weak  piping  times  of  peace  ” when  toil  and  patience  have  no  stim- 
ulus but  the  sense  of  devotion  to  duty,  they  have  seldom  been  found 
wanting.  On  the  battle-ship  belching  forth  flaming  death,  on  the 
palatial  passenger  steamer  with  its  burden  of  careless  humanity,  on  the 
tramp  drifting  from  port  to  port,  on  the  slow  uncertain  sailboat  buf- 
fered by  storms  and  becalmed  in  windless  seas,  on  decks  scorched  by 
the  furnace  heat  of  the  tropics  or  swept  by  the  hail  and  snow  of  the 
northern  seas,  in  storm  or  sunshine  they  have  responded  to  the  call  of 
duty,  have  played  nobly  their  part  and  have  enriched  civilization  with 
their  blood-bought  contributions.  Think  of  the  heroic  chapters  they 
have  written  in  the  annals  of  the  race.  They  have  added  lustre  to  the 
courage  of  arms,  to  the  nobility  of  toil,  to  the  heroism  of  sacrifice,  to 
the  glory  of  conquest.  What  deeds  of  discovery  and  exploration  have 
they  not  wrought  ? What  battles  for  freedom  and  humanity  have  they 
not  fought  ? What  colonies  have  they  not  assisted  in  planting  ? They 
have  enriched  science  and  art.  They  have  fostered  commerce  and 
learning.  They  have  woven  the  bonds  of  international  friendship  and 
have  laid  at  our  feet  the  wealth  of  all  the  world.  The  history  of  mod- 


6 


ern  times  would  have  been  impossible  without  them  and  modern  civil- 
ization and  luxury  could  not  exist  but  for  their  large  and  necessary 
contribution. 

Imagine  for  a moment  that  all  the  ships  should  disappear,  that  all 
the  sailors  should  cease  to  go  to  sea.  What  revolutions  would  have  to 
be  wrought  in  our  customs,  what  pleasures,  luxuries  and  necessities 
would  be  denied  us  and  what  a mighty  relapse  would  civilization  suf- 
fer ! 

Notwithstanding  the  vast  and  admitted  contribution  of  these  men  to 
human  welfare  and  progress,  who  thinks  of  them  or  their  needs  ? AVho 
prays  for  them  in  their  stress  and  danger  ? AVho  strives  to  alleviate 
their  hardships  and  sufferings,  to  right  their  wrongs  and  cheer  them 
with  tokens  of  sympathy  and  friendship  ? There  is  not  within  the 
limits  of  civilization  a class  so  widely  neglected  as  are  the  men  of  the 
sea.  There  are  something  like  five  hundred  thousand  of  them  landing 
in  New  York  every  year.  But  how  many  of  us  know  or  care  for  them  ? 
AVhat  provisions  do  we  make  for  them,  what  protection  do  we  throw 
about  them?  AVe  are  enriched  by  the  fruits  of  their  toil,  but  we 
largely  leave  them  to  drift  here  in  this  sea  of  iniquity  exposed  to  human 
sharks,  to  harlots,  to  dive  keepers  and  thieves  ; to  be  robbed  of  their 
wages,  to  be  degraded  in  manhood,  and  neglected  in  soul.  Let  the 
waves  of  iniquity  and  shame  swallow  them  ! AVho  cares  ? Let  the 
human  spiders  lure  them  into  their  webs  and  devour  them  ! AVhose 
business  is  it  ? True,  the  government  equips  life-saving  stations  along 
the  coast,  but  who  cares  for  the  sailor’s  soul  ? There  are  a thousand 
hands  stretched  out  to  rob,  but  who  extends  a hand  to  help  ? There 
are  tigerish  hosts  that  lay  in  wait  to  prey  upon  him,  but  who  prays 
for  him  ? There  are  countless  dives,  brothels,  doorways  to  hell,  that 
are  open  to  lure  him  to  destruction.  AVliere  is  the  door  that  opens  to 
win  him  to  God  ? Jesus  heard  the  cry  that  burst  from  the  lips  of  the 
little  crew  upon  the  lake  of  Galilee  and  in  gracious  sympathy  rescued 
them  from  the  death  that  threatened.  Christians  of  America  ! of  New 
York  ! hear  ye  not  this  hoarse  cry  for  help  that  comes  up  from  the 
myriad  seamen  that  are  constantly  exposed  to  dangers  worse  than 
death  ? Can  we  “have  His  mind  in  us”  and  turn  a deaf  ear  to  this 
plea  from  our  brothers  upon  the  sea  ? These  men  are  eminently  worth 
saving,  not  only  for  their  own  sake,  not  only  for  the  glory  of  Him  who 
died  for  the  n,  but  for  the  service  of  the  church  and  humanity.  They 
have  in  the  n the  stulf  of  which  martyrs,  missionaries,  knights  of  the 


7 


cross  are  made.  They  are  not  effeminate,  luxurious  weaklings.  They 
do  not  sigh  to  he  “carried  to  the  skies  on  flowery  beds  of  ease.  They 
are  accustomed  to  hardships,  toils  and  self-denial.  Take  the  courage, 
the  hardihood,  the  enthusiasm,  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  and  resolu- 
tion exhibited  by  the  sailor  and  consecrate  them  to  God  and  a new  era 
will  dawn  upon  the  world.  Christianity  is  essentially  an  appeal  to  the 
heroic  elements  in  man.  Where  can  it  enlist  men  so  careless  of  self, 
so  accustomed  to  obedience,  so  scornful  of  dangers  and  sacrifices  as 
from  among  these  toilers  of  the  sea  ? Every  converted  sailor  becomes 
a missionary  with  the  world  as  his  field.  This  is  not  a mere  theory. 
The  work  done  by  Christian  sailors  in  the  past  amply  justifies  the 
largost  effort  on  the  part  of  the  church.  In  our  own  denomination  there 
has  been  a practical  demonstration  of  this  contention.  In  Sweden  and 
among  the  Swedish  population  of  the  United  States  there  are  thou- 
sands of  devout,  stalwart  Christians  in  Baptist  churches.  This  great 
movement  had  its  origin  in  the  conversion  of  a Swedish  sailor  in  the 
Mariners’  Temple  Church  in  this  city.  God  is  yet  choosing  the  weak 
things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  mighty. 

Is  not  this  kind  of  work  infinitely  worth  doing  ? Read  the  life  of 
Father  Taylor,  the  eloquent  and  inspired  apostle  of  the  sea,  whose  no- 
ble work  in  Boston  forms  one  of  the  most  glorious  chapters  in  the  his- 
tory of  American  Christianity.  Read  the  books  of  Frank  T.  Bullen, 
those  classics  of  the  sea,  and  thank  God  for  the  meeting  for  sailors  in 
Port  Chalmers,  New  Zealand,  which  gave  to  the  church  and  the  world 
a soul  so  genuine,  so  human  and  so  strong.  Sow  in  the  morn  thy  seed. 
No  man  can  measure  the  influence  of  words  fitly  spoken  to  these  world- 
citizens.  Only  the  last  day  will  reveal  the  splendid  secrets  when  the 
sea  with  its  mysteries  shall  be  no  more.  But  among  the  jewels  that 
adorn  the  Master’s  crown  will  be  these  “pearls  of  the  sea,”  and  none 
will  be  more  glorious  than  they. 

I would  not  give  you  the  impression  that  nothing  is  being  done  for 
these  brothers  of  the  sea.  That  would  be  an  error  in  fact  and  a mis- 
representation of  the  spirit  of  philanthrophy  which  pervades  this  age. 
It  would  be  impossible  for  such  a body  of  men  to  escape  the  prayerful, 
beneficent  ministrations  of  the  followers  of  the  Nazarene.  It  xvould 
be  impossible  for  such  a ci*y  to  awaken  no  response.  To  my  thinking, 
the  dominant,  redeeming  characteristic  of  this  age  is  its  spirit  of 
Christly  humanitarianism.  Not  less  remarkable  than  its  perfect  com- 
mercial organizations  are  its  benevolent,  philanthropic  and  evangelistic 


8 


enterprises.  There  is  no  human  need,  physical,  mental  or  moral,  that 
Christian  philanthropy  is  not  seeking  to  meet.  It  is  the  age  of  vigilant 
chivalry,  of  Christian  knighthood,  and  it  would  be  a wrong  to  the  age 
to  say  that  no  response  has  been  made  to  the  cry  of  seamen.  Various 
denominations  in  seaport  towns  have  in  a way  sought  to  minister  to 
them,  and  much  good  has  been  accomplished.  Various  societies  have 
been  formed  in  this  country  and  in  England  to  meet  the  needs  of  sea- 
men, and  their  work  has  been  gracious  and  Christ-like. 

Nor  would  I have  you  for  a moment  forget  or  minimize  the  wonder- 
ful work  done  by  the  Society  under  whose  auspices  we  meet  to-day.  It 
sprang  into  being  in  response  to  the  seamen’s  cry,  and  for  seventy-four 
years  it  has  been  performing  its  gracious  and  wide-spread  ministra- 
tions. Its  beneficent  influences  have  girdled  the  globe,  its  lights  have 
shone  on  every  sea.  It  would  he  easy  to  mention  the  definite  lines  of 
work  in  which  it  is  engaged,  hut  no  man  can  estimate  the  blessings 
which  have  flown  from  its  efforts.  It  would  not  be  difficult  to  call  the 
roll  of  chaplains  that  have  served  under  its  direction  in  the  various 
ports  of  the  world,  but  it  would  be  an  impossible  task  to  number  the 
hearts  that  have  been  comforted,  the  lives  that  have  been  rescued  from 
. despair  and  death,  and  the  souls  that  have  been  saved  to  God  and 
eternal  life.  It  would  be  possible  to  compute  the  number  of  volumes 
sent  out  upon  the  wandering  ships,  but  it  would  be  impossible  to  gather 
up  and  exhibit  the  helpful  impulses  received,  the  tedium  and  monot- 
ony relieved,  and  the  temptations  arrested  and  the  noble  purposes  fos- 
tered by  the  reading  of  these  books.  Statistics  would  tell  of  the  num- 
bers who  have  found  a haven  in  the  Sailors’  Home  during  the  stormy 
years,  but  heaven’s  statistics  only  will  reveal  the  souls  that  have  been 
guided  into  the  haven  of  a peace  that  passeth  understanding.  A glance 
at  the  Society’s  books  would  reveal  the  number  of  Magazines  printed 
and  circulated,  the  number  of  dollars  collected  and  disbursed,  but  no 
human  auditing  can  tell  of  the  ethical  and  spiritual  results  that  have 
come  from  these  agencies.  The  work  has  been  great,  wide-reaching, 
beneficent,  Christ-like.  All  honor  to  the  memory  of  the  men  who 
conceived  and  organized  it.  All  honor  to  the  men  and  women  who  for 
three-quarters  of  a century  have  supported  it.  All  honor  to  the  men 
and  women  who  to-day  make  it  the  object  of  their  toil  and  the  burden 
of  their  prayers.  It  is  an  arm  of  the  Lord  reaching  out  over  the  sea 
to  save  and  servo. 

ilut  groat  as  are  the  offorts  made  for  seamen,  they  have  but  touched 


0 


the  fringes  of  the  possibilities  of  the  work.  The  few  saved,  the  few 
relieved,  the  few  strengthen! d and  inspired  are  but  the  earnest  of 
greater  works  yet  to  be.  The  more  one  studies  the  problem  the  more 
the  need  for  larger  and  broader  elforts  appears.  There  are  certain  deep 
seated  misconceptions  concerning  the  sailor  which  must  be  removed. 
There  are  certain  long  established  traditions  which  assume  that  the 
sea  is  necessarily  a' training  school  for  vice  and  immorality,  which  must 
bo  overturned.  The  feeling  that  no  man  cares  for  his  soul  must  be 
displaced  in  the  sailor’s  life  by  proofs  of  loving  interest  and  sympathy. 
A purer  atmosphere  must  be  sought,  fairer  treatment  must  be  secured, 
a nobler  spirit  of  self-respect  inculcated.  The  sailor  must  know  that 
he  is  a man  upon  whom  rest  manhood’s  responsibilities  and  obliga- 
tions and  to  whom  belong  manhood’s  privileges.  He  must  be  made  to 
feel  that  he  is  not  an  alien,  notan  Ishmael,  whose  hand  is  against  every 
man,  but  a part  of  the  great  brotherhood,  contributing  and  receiving 
in  the  great  exchange  of  life. 

In  order  to  bring  about  this  better  atmosphere,  this  nobler  morale, 
the  sympathy  and  cooperation  of  shipowners  must  be  enlisted  to  a 
larger  degree.  The  character  of  the  captains  must  in  many  cases  be 
improved.  As  one  reads  the  stories  of  the  sea  by  Bullen,  and  the  piti- 
ful letters  from  seamen  in  the  Sailors’  Magazine,  this  need  becomes 
crying  and  imperative.  In  many  cases  the  brutality  of  Simon  Lagree 
becomes  a beautiful  humanitarianism  compared  with  the  discipline  of 
these  petty  despots.  A premium  is  put  upon  brutality  when  officers 
are  allowed  so  to  maltreat  the  sailor  that  he  is  compelled  to  desert  and 
leave  his  hard-earned  wages  to  the  inhuman  tyrant  that  drove  him  to 
desperation.  There  must  be  a rigid  suppression  of  the  human  sharks 
on  land  and  the  providing  of  wholesome  places  of  amusement,  recrea- 
tion and  inspiration.  The  localities  along  the  wharves  must  be  res- 
cued from  the  minions  of  Satan,  and  a better  and  purer  environment 
created  for  these  myriads  who  come  to  our  shores.  The  gospel  in  its 
saneness  and  sweet  human  sympathy  must  be  preached  by  men  who 
know  the  sailor  and  the  sailor’s  Saviour. 

The  work  already  accomplished  has  been  great;  that  which  yet  re- 
mains to  be  done  is  greater.  The  increasing  number  of  seamen,  their 
immense  power  for  good  or  evil,  render  the  doing  of  this  work  abso- 
lutely necessary.  In  saving  the  sailor  we  shall  save  our  city  and  the 
lands  that  lie  beyond.  To  the  accomplishment  of  this  work  let  us 
strengthen  the  bonds,  multiply  the  resources  and  encourage  the  hearts 


10 


of  the  American  Seamen’s  Frieitd  Society.  Our  work  will  not  be 
done  until  Jesus  Christ  is  the  commander  of  the  multitudinous  crafts 
that  enter  and  leave  the  harbors  of  the  world,  until  in  His  hand  is 
placed  the  scepter  of  the  sea  as  well  as  of  the  land,  until  upon  the 
ocean  and  upon  the  shore  men  looking  into  each  other’s  eyes  shall  see 
reflected  the  image  of  the  Son  of  Man  and  shall  speak  the  common 
word,  brother,  until  God’s  kingdom  has  come  and  His  will  is  realized 
in  love  and  peace,  in  purity  and  righteousness,  upon  earth  as  it  is  in 
heaven. 


1902. 


nurican 


if  amen  s 


ocidti. 


Officers : 

CHARLES  A.  STODDARD.  D D , President. 

WM.  C.  STFRGES,  Vice  President  W.  C.  STITT,  D D . Secretary 

W.  HALL  ROPES,  Treasurer 

trustees  : 


Chas.  A.  Stoddard,  D.  D., 
Wm.  E.  Stiger, 

Daniel  Barnes, 

A.  Gifford  Agnew, 

W.  Hall  Ropes, 

Norman  Fox,  D.D., 

Rev.  John  Hopkins  Denison, 


Enos  N Taft, 

Elbert  A.  Brinckerhoff, 
A.  G.  Vermilve,  D.D., 
Frederick  T.  Sherman, 
Henry  W.  Jessup, 

John  B.  Calvert,  D.D., 
Col.  A.  P.  Ketchum, 


Samuel  Rowland. 
Frederick  Sturgks, 
George  Bell, 

William  C.  Sturges, 
David  Gillespie, 
Edgar  L.  Marston, 
Frederick  B Dalzell 


It  places  loan  libraries  for  seamen’s  use  on  American  vessels  leaving 
the  port  of  New  York.  Up  to  April  1,  1002,  10,002  libraries  have 
been  sent  to  sea ; 13,071  reshipments,  or  about  two  libraries  for  every 
working  day  for  forty-four  years. 

It  provides  a Sailors’  Home  at  100  Clrerry  Street,  New  York,  where 
seamen  can  board  and  be  comparatively  protected  from  vicious  sur- 
roundings, and  where  shipwrecked  and  destitute  sailors  are  cared  for. 

It  publishes  the  Sailors’  Magazine  for  the  friends  of  seamen,  the 
Life  Boat  for  Sunday  Schools  that  give  §20  for  a loan  library,  and 
the  Seamen’s  Friend  for  seamen. 

It  distributes  on  vessels  the  publications  of  the  American  Bible 
Society  and  the  American  Tract  Society. 

Through  its  agents  and  efforts  sailors  are  befriended,  helped  and 
blessed.  The  record  of  its  work  in  all  the  years  of  its  existence  has 
cheered  both  the  philanthropist  and  Christian. 

Sample  copies  of  the  Sailors’  Magazine  (one  dollar  per  annum) 
and  copies  of  the  Annual  Report  sent  free  to  any  address. 

Churches  are  requested  to  take  an  annual  collection  for  this  work, 
and  to  send  it  to  the  Treasurer,  at  No.  76  AVall  Street,  New  York. 
Publications  containing  facts  for  sermons  will  be  sent  to  pastors  on 
application.  Annual  contributions  from  individuals  are  solicited  and 
legacies  in  wills. 


AMERICAN  SEAMEN’S  FRIEND  SOCIETY. 


The  payment  of  Five  Dollars  makes  an  Annual  Member. 

The  payment  of  Thirty  Dollars  at  one  time  makes  a Life  Member. 

The  payment  of  One  Hundred  Dollars  at  one  time  makes  a Life 
Director. 

The  Sailors'  Magazine  costs  to  subscribers  one  dollar  per  annum. 

Upon  application  the  Sailors’  Magazine  will  be  sent  free  for  one 
year  to  Life  Directors,  Life  Members,  and  pastors  of  churches  taking 
a yearly  collection  for  the  Society. 

Also,  upon  application,  it  will  be  sent  free  for  one  year  to  any  one 
giving  Twenty  Dollars  for  a loan  library,  or  at  least  Twenty  Dollars 
to  the  missionary  work  of  the  Society. 

The  Life  Boat  will  be  sent  free  (fifty  copies  monthly  for  one  year) 
to  Sunday  Schools  contributing  Twenty  Dollars  for  a loan  library. 

The  Secretary  is  ready  to  preach  in  any  church  in  behalf  of  this 
Society,  to  explain  its  work  to  the  King’s  Daughters,  to  the  Society 
of  Christian  Endeavor,  to  Monthly  Concerts  of  Prayer,  to  Sunday 
Schools,  to  parlor  meetings.  Write  to  him  at  No.  76  Wall  Street, 
New  York. 


FORM  OF  A BEQUEST. 

“I  give  and  bequeath  to  the  American  Seamen’s  Friend 
Society,  incorporated  by  the  Legislature  of  New  York,  in  the  year 
1833,  the  sum  of  $ , to  be  applied  to  the  charitable  uses  and  pur- 

poses of  the  said  Society.” 

Three  witnesses  should  certify  at  the  end  of  the  will,  over  their 
signatures,  to  the  following  formalities,  which,  in  the  execution  of 
the  will,  should  be  strictly  observed  : 

1st.  That  the  testator  subscribed  (or  acknowledged  the  subscrip- 
tion of)  the  will  in  their  presence.  2nd.  That  he  at  the  same  time 
declared  to  them  that  it  was  his  last  will  and  testament.  3rd.  That 
they,  the  witnesses,  then  and  there,  in  his  presence,  and  at  his 
request,  and  in  presence  of  each  other,  signed  their  names  thoroto  as 
witnesses. 


